AVIF vs WebP: Compression, Quality, and Browser Support
Published on March 5, 2026
Both AVIF and WebP are next-gen image formats built to replace JPEG. AVIF (based on the AV1 video codec) produces smaller files at the same quality. WebP (developed by Google) has been around longer and has wider tooling support. Here is how they compare for real-world use.
Compression Efficiency
AVIF wins on pure file size. At equivalent visual quality, AVIF images are roughly 20-30% smaller than WebP, and up to 50% smaller than JPEG. WebP still beats JPEG by about 25-34%, but AVIF pushes the compression further. The tradeoff: AVIF encoding is significantly slower, which matters for servers processing images on the fly.
Image Quality
AVIF handles gradients and low-contrast areas better, avoiding the banding artifacts that WebP sometimes produces. At very low file sizes, AVIF maintains cleaner details. WebP can show slight blurring in flat color regions. For photographs, AVIF generally looks better at the same byte count.
Browser Support
WebP has near-universal support: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and all modern mobile browsers. AVIF support has caught up quickly -- Chrome, Firefox, and Safari 16+ all support it. The remaining gap is older Safari versions and some embedded browsers. For most websites in 2026, both formats work.
Features
Both support transparency (alpha channel) and animation. AVIF supports HDR and wide color gamut (10-bit and 12-bit color), which WebP does not. If you work with HDR photography or need wide color, AVIF is the only option between the two.
Which to Use
For websites, serve AVIF with a WebP fallback using the HTML <picture> element. If you can only pick one, WebP is the safer choice due to faster encoding and broader tooling. For maximum compression, AVIF is the better format. To convert your images, use our image to WebP converter. You can also compare WebP against older formats in our WebP vs JPG and WebP vs PNG guides.
For a broader look at image format choices, read best image format for web, see PNG vs JPG for the classic format comparison, check AVIF vs JPEG for a direct comparison with the legacy standard, compare JPEG XL vs AVIF for the two newest contenders, or see how AVIF stacks up against lossless formats in our AVIF vs PNG comparison.